the shape of things to come

ing ’Mechs used by the Clans and Inner Sphere are very similar
because of common origins, hence the cockpits and default confi
gurations are similar.
Controls
Confi gurability aside, the controls for a machine as complicated
as a BattleMech are actually surprisingly simple. And I’ll
say it now: it’s not because the MechWarrior links directly with
the BattleMech through the neurohelmet. Leave that notion to
the cheap holovids. No, this simplicity is because the BattleMech
itself does most of the work. I’ll explain that when I tie all these
components together.
BattleMechs typically have two or three major hand controls, control
sticks. One control stick is the throttle, typically on the left side
of the cockpit. The other is the main targeting control stick that aims
the ’Mech’s weapons. Yes, despite all the arms and adjustable guns
on a ’Mech, you just point and click to fi re. Some BattleMechs will
add a second, left-hand weapon control stick to simultaneously aim
diff erent groups of weapons, but this rarely works well in practice.
Steering is accomplished with a pair of foot pedals. You press
the right pedal, the ’Mech turns right. The foot pedals also control
jump jets if the ’Mech has them. Hit both pedals at once, the jump
jets trigger; mid-air steering is usually accomplished with the
pedals, but complicated aerial maneuvering may be performed
with the regular hand controls. Crosshairs can pick a landing spot
as well as target a foe.
When hand actuators are present on a ’Mech, most of their
actions require little input from the MechWarrior. As I’ll describe
later, ’Mechs generally have enough intelligence to recognize a
simple “grab command” as aimed by a control stick and crosshairs,
and can thus pick up improvised clubs or cargo without
detailed input from the MechWarrior. Punching is trivial: click the
punch mode switch, aim the crosshairs, and pull the punch trigger.
Ditto for using clubs and hatchets. For fi ne hand manipulations,
sensors built into the gloves of MechWarriors or separate
waldo gloves can allow a ’Mech to mimic the gestures of its
MechWarriors, at least when the glove sensors are activated.
Of course, BattleMechs can do more than just turn left or right,
or move backwards and forwards. Talented MechWarriors have
gotten assault ’Mechs to skip sideways to avoid missiles, executed
handstands under carefully controlled conditions, and otherwise
tapped some of the often-unused potential of a BattleMech’s
limbs for complicated movements. For now, you’re just getting
the two-kroner overview.
More complicated movements involve more complicated
combinations of controls. The steering pedals don’t just push
back and forth. They can also tilt and twist. Throttle control levers
and fi re control can also provide steering and movement input.
And while neurohelmets primarily serve to correct balance, they
can help clarify the MechWarrior’s intent to the BattleMech.
Now, you’ll notice in these pictures multitudes of other switches,
but those are the nitty-gritty details of ’Mech operation: comm
systems, ECM, missile alerts, ammo displays, navigation controls,
diagnostics, environmental controls and so forth. These systems
aid the MechWarrior in a host of secondary operations and combat
at the touch of a button or the quick scan of a readout.
Displays
In addition to dashboard displays, neurohelmets have often
incorporated some displays. This is particularly true of the cruder